Given
that the numbers of trending hashtags on social media testify the magnitude of
an issue, net neutrality in India has certainly become the subject of a raging
dialogue. But as is the case with many trends, not everyone is sure about the
core specifics of the issue. What exactly is net neutrality? How does it affect
the average internet consumer? Why are so many organizations backing—or not
backing - this passionate campaign?

Here’s
everything you need to know about net neutrality in India, and how the issue
has panned out thus far:

First things first: What is net
neutrality all about?

The
internet was established as an open platform where people from across the globe
could share information and exchange ideas without an authoritarian shadow
looming over. Net neutrality is a concept based on the premise that Internet
service providers (ISP) allow users to access all applications and content
without favoring any particular websites – as long as it is legal. Simply put,
net neutrality is akin to making a phone call – you can use a telephone line to
connect to any number, regardless of whether that number belongs to a hospital
or a prison or any other establishment.

When
a person logs on to a website, they are all entitled to access that website at
a uniform speed – the ISP does not manipulate the web traffic that passes
through its server. Thus, theoretically, the data rate of Amazon and YouTube is
the same.

What happens to internet users if
net neutrality is removed?

The
removal of net neutrality affects internet users directly, but given the degree
of influence the internet has on our lives today, it will also affect those who
are not online. If there were no net neutrality, the internet, as we presently
know it, will cease to exist. The power to manipulate internet traffic will
rest in the hands of the ISPs. This means that an ISP can charge extra for say,
a website like YouTube or Facebook or an application like Skype, which they
believe consumes higher bandwidth. This, ultimately, will lead to the ISPs
eating into the share of revenues that Skype or Facebook or YouTube may be
making. So, without net neutrality, users will likely find themselves paying a
premium for say, access to international websites or to visit an e-commerce
site that’s not a part of their existing internet ‘package’.

What is India’s stance on net
neutrality?

From
the legal standpoint, there are no rules to enforce or advocate net neutrality
in India. That is not to say that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
hasn’t ever touched upon the issue. In 2006, the agency had invited comments
from industries bodies on the subject but it did not culminate into any net
neutrality regulations being formed. However, despite the absence of a specific
set of rules, Indian ISPs largely respect the principle of net neutrality.

Will net neutrality sustain in
India?

Over
the past three weeks, there has been a outpouring of support for net
neutrality, after the TRAI invited a response from Indian internet users as to
whether telecom operators, who also double up as ISPs in India, should be allowed
to charge a premium for accessing certain websites or for different uses of the
internet. The vociferous debate reached a crescendo when Airtel, one of the
leading ISPs in India, introduced Airtel Zero – a platform where companies can
pay Airtel to have users access their websites without paying any data charges.
A number of companies that had initially signed up for Airtel Zero decided to
pull out after realizing the conflict of interest that would inevitably crop
up.

As
things stand today, the TRAI has been flooded with responses from consumers who
want net neutrality to stay, which will likely put telecom companies’ demands
in the backseat – at least for now.